Chairman Nadler’s Statement on Mueller’s Letter to the Attorney General

Washington, D.C. — Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler released a statement in response to reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote to Attorney General William Barr last month to object to the Attorney General’s summary of his report:

“The Washington Post reports that Special Counsel Mueller wrote to Attorney General Barr last month to object to the Attorney General’s summary of his work because it ‘did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance’ of the investigation. The Special Counsel was concerned, among other things, that the Attorney General’s mischaracterization ‘threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.’ He also requested that the Department release the introduction and executive summaries prepared by the Special Counsel’s team — as I did at the time.

“The Special Counsel’s concerns reflect our own. The Attorney General should not have taken it upon himself to describe the Special Counsel’s findings in a light more favorable to the President. It was only a matter of time before the facts caught up to him.

“Attorney General Barr also should not have withheld this letter from Congress for as long as he has. I have demanded a copy from the Department of Justice. I have asked that it be delivered no later than 10:00 tomorrow morning.

“The Attorney General has expressed some reluctance to appear before the House Judiciary Committee this Thursday. These reports make it that much more important for him to appear and answer our questions. The Department of Justice has also been reluctant to confirm a date for Special Counsel Mueller to testify. Given this evening’s reports, I will press the Department to schedule that hearing without delay.”